Farragut’s Press NEWSLETTER OF THE MARE ISLAND HISTORIC PARK FOUNDATION MUSEUM
A 501(c) (3) Charitable Organization
March, 2012
Bringing the USS Olympia Home to the Bay Area On 5 November 1892 the 5,300 ton protected cruiser USS Olympia was launched at the Union Iron Works in San Francisco. She was one of two new class of commerce raiding ships approved by the US Congress in the last days of the Cleveland presidency. As the nation transitioned from Cleveland to McKinley, the US Navy was also transitioning between a largely defensive, commerce raiding, force to an offensive “New Navy” under the directions of the new Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy, based on the blue print laid out by the author of the influential 1890 treatise: The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783, Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan. Thus, the USS Olympia, originally expected to be the first of a large class of ships, was the only one ever built. Today, she is the oldest steel warship still afloat. In February 1895, USS Olympia was commissioned at the Union Iron Works and departed for Mare Island Naval Shipyard where outfitting was to be completed under the command of Capt. John Reed. After participating in several sea trials, she returned to Mare Island from where she departed on 25 August 1895 for the Chinese waters. In December 1895 command of the Asiatic Squadron was transferred to the Olympia and, during the next several years, she conducted numerous routine operations and training exercises On October 21, 1897, with war clouds on the horizon, Commodore George Dewey was ordered to assume command of the Asiatic Squadron. While enroute to his new command, Commodore Dewey stopped at Mare Island to direct that the gunboat Concord, loaded with the maximum possible ammunition, be immediately dispatched to complete the Asiatic Squadron. In January 1898 he raised his pennant on the Olympia. War with Spain was declared by the McKinley administration on 25 April 1898, and Dewey was ordered to sail from Hong Kong to the Philippines to sink or capture the Spanish fleet and to prevent them from attacking US shipping and harassing the US Pacific sea coast. On 1 May 1898, the Olympia, with Dewey aboard and Captain Charles Vernon Gridley in commmand,
Photo Caption: U.S.S. Olympia, Boston, Feb 10, 1902
steamed into Manila Bay to see the Spanish fleet, commanded by Admiral Montojo, anchored close to shore under the guard of well fortified but short ranged shore batteries. At 0541 on May 1, 1898, with the utterance of the immortal words “You may fire when ready, Gridley”, Commodore Dewey began the Battle of Manila Bay. It was a lopsided victory for the US Navy, lasting only seven hours. The Spanish fleet was destroyed with all ships sunk or disabled while the American ships were largely undamaged. Dewey’s was the first American victory in the first American war of territorial conquest. At then end of the Spanish American war, the former Spanish holdings of the Philippines Islands, Guam, Cuba, and Puerto Rico were annexed by the United States of America. After assisting the US Army to complete the occupation of the Philippine Islands, the Olympia
Preserving the history of Mare Island
Mare Island Museum Hours 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Weekdays 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. First and Third Weekends Tel: (707) 557-4646 Shipyard tours by appointment, please call: (707) 664-4746 or (707) 280-5742
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March, 2012
USS Olympia, at the Independence Seaport Museum, Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, PA
departed the Far East in June 1899 and, from there, returned to the United States, arriving in Boston on 10 October. USS Olympia, now a famed and celebrated ship, was decommissioned on 9 November 1899 and placed in reserve. In 1902 she was re-commissioned and assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron. In 1906 she became a training ship for naval cadets at the United States Naval Academy, but was placed in reserve between cruises. From 1912-1916 she served as a barracks ship in Charleston, SC and then was re-commissioned during WWI as the flagship for the US Patrol Force which guarded the eastern coast of the US against German warships. She remained on active duty through 1922 performing perhaps her second most famous duty, bringing home the remains of the Unknown Soldier for interment at Arlington in the fall of 1921. 9 December 1922 saw her decommissioned for the last time in Philadelphia, PA. In 1931 the Navy re-classified her to be preserved as a relic. In 1957, a private group modified her back to her 1898 configuration and then she became a museum at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia with NROTC midshipmen from Villanova University and the University of Pennsylvania serving as her maintenance crew. Now the museum is no longer able to fund the preservation costs for a ship that has been in the water continuously since 1945. She has been offered by the museum to another museum to take over the ship and provide for her maintenance and preservation. If no such organization is found, the navy will “responsibly dispose” of the ship – transferring her, scrapping her, or sinking her as a reef.
The Mare Island Historic Park Foundation has submitted an expression of interest to acquire this national asset and bring her home to the San Francisco Bay Area at the historic Dry Dock #1 at Mare Island which was set aside for historic ship displays. MIHPF has had her Phase I application approved along with three others from Philadelphia, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. Phase II is due in May 2012, but a one year extension has been approved. The primary need now is to obtain endorsements and capitalize our effort. It will cost $7M to tow the ship to 2 the West Coast and prepare Dry Dock 1#1. Though this is a great undertaking, it is nothing that a concerted and cohesive effort can’t overcome! WHAT CAN YOU DO?? Please DONATE at: http://mareislandhpf.org/ships/donate.html If you would like to assist in planning, fundraising or other aspects of bringing the Olympia home, contact Dennis Kelly, Project Manager, at drkelly107@gmail.com 3
To learn more about the effort to bring Olympia to Mare Island go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2mUuTj575g
Help preserve Mare Island History! Become a volunteer today! 2
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their garage or barn?? Know anyone who knows how to make such a wheel? John Chamberlin and the construction crew are here every Friday and are always happy to welcome new volunteers. One area of need at present is someone with electrical skills to do some rewiring in the museum. If you are interested in helping out, please call the museum at (707) 557-4646 or stop in any Friday to talk to John, Bob Smith or the crew. Special skills, though appreciated, are not necessary. A willingness to work is the primary qualification for “hiring.” Pay is not great, but job satisfaction is high and you’ll meet a lot of great people.
What’s New around the Museum? A number of projects are underway at the museum and its surroundings. Volunteers are always needed, either with special skills or just a genuine interest in helping the museum better present Mare Island’s past to the community. A big project, just on the horizon, is the realignment of the area in front of the museum where the PBR (Patrol Boat River, the boat in front of the museum with the dragon teeth) is presently located. A number of factors are at work here. First there is a plan to widen the road in front of the museum due to the use of the train tracks along Railroad Avenue; this will eliminate 6-8 feet of space. Secondly the PBR is beginning to show the ravages of being out in the weather year- round without maintenance, and, third, the museum has numerous pieces of equipment to install inside the PBR but cannot do so as long as it is located outside without adequate security for the equipment. A plan is being considered to move the PBR inside the museum where it will be protected from the weather or visitors with nefarious intentions. Volunteers are needed to help plan and carry out the re-location as well as to install the equipment on the vessel. Another project, well underway, is the building of the control room of the Mariano G. Vallejo, SSBN 658. The framing for the control room has been completed and the centers for steering, fire-control and ballast control are in place. The next step is the installation of the periscope which will extend through the roof of Building 46 and give visitors the experience of actually using a periscope. After much research, a tech manual has finally been located for the periscope, but parts are still needed to hold the scope in place and volunteers are needed for installation. The bell and cannon exhibit is nearing completion. Bells have been polished to look as they would have on the decks of the ships where they were proudly hung, and metal stands have been constructed to hold them. The chapel bell has had its base refurbished and is ready to be remounted. One major problem which still exists is the cannon from the Marine Corps training area which no longer has its wooden spoke wheels and weighs more than 500 pounds. Know anyone who just happens to have some four foot diameter spoke, metal rimmed wheels lying about in
New in the Library Undersea
Warrior On Mare Island the main sports field, Morton Field, is named after Dudley “Mush” Morton, arguably the most famous, and possibly the most notorious, submarine commander of World War II. A newly published book by Don Keith, Undersea Warrior: The World War II Story of “Mush” Morton and the USS Wahoo has been added to the Sue Lemmon Memorial Library in the Mare Island museum. The book recalls the exploits of Commander “Mush” Morton and the USS Wahoo, a Gato class submarine built on Mare Island and launched in 1941. Prior to WWII the submarine was considered to be strictly a defensive weapon used to guard shorelines and harbors or escorted surface ships as a protective screen. Captains were to avoid detection at all costs, not to attack unless there was little danger and they were sure their torpedoes were guaranteed a kill. The submarine was to be stealthy; once the attack was completed they were to dive deep and get away as quickly as possible. Some forward thinkers in the navy, fortunately, had designed and begun construction on a new class of submarines, the Gato class, the first of which was launched in August 1941. This class of submarines was to sink almost two million tons of enemy shipping by the end of the war. They were followed by the Balao class submarines in 1943 which would go to become the most populous class of submarines in the history of the navy. However, the early commanders of these new subs 3
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were veterans who only knew how to sit and wait for Couple Long-Time Supporters of the enemy battleships, ignoring the tankers and MIHPF freighters. And then there was a new breed- Dick O’Kane, “Mush” Morton, and “Red” Ramage among others: photogenic, daring cowboys, who took Jerry and Ruth Korte have been volunteers for Mare unrestricted warfare as their mantra, who became the Island Historic Park Foundation for many years, and stars of the war, on the front pages of newspapers and though both started as gardeners at the Admiral’s in movie news reels because of their daring exploits Mansion, their paths later diverged. and successes. Suddenly the “Silent Service” was no The Kortes originally came to the Vallejo area in 1963 longer silent. when Jerry left teaching in a high school in The most famous of these, early on, was a Naval Washington state to become a professor at what was Academy graduate by the name of “Mush” Morton, then called Vallejo Junior College and is now known who was the first submarine ace of WWII as well as as Solano Community College. He taught Survey of the holder of a number of other firsts. Admiral Western Civilization and Survey of Asian Civilization Charles Lockwood, who became commander of the for a number of years and later served as division Pacific submarine fleet while Commander Morton chair as well as a professor for the last 18 years of his was commanding the Mare Island built USS Wahoo, 30 year tenure at SCC. referred to him as “Mush the Magnificent.” After he retired in 1993 Jerry decided he needed Commander Morton’s tactics were lauded by some some outside interests and became involved in a and derided by others. His hatred of the Japanese was number of community projects which evolved in his equally controversial, some applauding him for his coming to the Admiral’s Mansion in 2000 with a chain patriotism, others calling him a racist. He was never saw. It was not for construction work, but according awarded a Medal of Honor, perhaps because of an to Jerry, the gardens were so overgrown that the only incident where his crewman shot all the survivors of a way to prune them was to use the chain saw. Jerry Japanese transport they sank. His justification was loved to garden, but eventually his health prevented that for every Japanese soldier he killed, there was one him from doing all the bending and kneeling that less to kill an American. gardening required and someone suggested he Eventually, in 1943, the Wahoo was lost on her consider becoming a volunteer tour guide. seventh patrol and the wreckage not found for over With Jerry’s background as a history teacher, this 60 years. The US Navy finally issued a press release on ultimately proved to be the “perfect job” for him. 31 October, 2006, that the wreckage of the Wahoo He enjoyed learning all the Mare Island history and he had been found lying in 213 feet of water in the La loved the interaction with the people on the tours and Pérouse Strait between Hokkaido, Japan, and some of the “facts” he learned from them. He vividly Sakhalin, Russia. This area was the planned exit route remembers one woman who was the wife of a naval for the Wahoo on her seventh patrol in 1943. This officer at Mare Island who told the story of how she was also the area where the Japanese antisubmarine was “ordered” by her husband’s commander’s wife to force reported a possible sinking of an American clean the chapel. She was not being singled out, all the submarine in October, 1943. wives in the unit were put on a regular schedule for Don Keith tells the story of this legendary cleaning duties in the chapel. commander, allowing the reader to be present when When asked about his most unusual experience as a the controversial decisions were made, to gain an tour guide, Jerry tells the story about the day four insight into the psyche of the man and to experience busloads of LST crewmen were coming from the San the emotions of his crew, who loved and admired Francisco airport for a tour of Mare Island. Four tour their captain but did not always value his decisions. guides were assigned to meet the busses at the ferry Compared to a number of other books about the USS terminal and each bus was going to take a different Wahoo and Morton, this book exceeds them allUSS in Langleyroute to do the tour so that 150 people did not arrive (CV-1) helping the reader to better understand the man at the chapel or mansion at the same time. Jerry behind the legend of Dudley W. “Mush” Morton. boarded his bus and did his orientation. He then 4
Farragut’s Press directed the bus driver to head to the shipyard where he would begin his tour. Unbeknownst to Jerry when his bus pulled out, all the other buses followed. So when Jerry arrived at Dry Dock #1 to begin his tour he was shocked to discover he had four busses of crewmen off-loading. Somehow, though Jerry did not remember the details, the other tour guides were contacted and got on their busses and the tours were successfully completed. What Jerry does remember, most vividly, is seeing all those people getting off their busses at the dry dock and wondering what he was going to do next! Ruth’s path to volunteering was a bit different. Ruth was employed in Vallejo and Napa and then at Sutter Solano Hospital as a pharmacist for many years. When Jerry was gardening she came to the mansion and noticed that the rose hips had not been cut off the roses (deadheaded) after the roses had finished blooming. She mentioned to Jerry that it was a job that needed to be done. He told her he thought that would be a good job for her, and so Ruth also became a gardener at the mansions. She especially remembers working for Bill Fry, for many years was the head gardener, and how he would always go to bat for the people working with him. After Bill died, Ruth continued in the gardens and then became friendly with Sue Nichols, another gardener . Now, every Saturday when the Kortes are in Vallejo, Sue and Ruth meet at the mansions and do whatever weeding and planting, fertilizing or other tasks need to be done. Ruth especially values Sue’s help in transplanting. She commented that she barely needs to say something should be transplanted and Sue has finished the task. But that is not the end of the story. Ruth and Jerry’s daughter Cheryl, who is a first grade teacher, has also been recruited by the Kortes to help in the gardens. Ruth’s specialty is the rose bushes, but Cheryl’s is the fruit trees and she is responsible each year for their pruning. Now there are two generations helping to keep the mansions’ gardens looking their best. This is just one more way in which spouses can volunteer and an example of the wide variety of jobs a volunteer can do.
March, 2012
St.Peter’s Chapel Organ Concert May 6, 2012 On Sunday, May 6, at 3:00 P.M. Mare Island Historic Park Foundation will present its second organ concert in St. Peter’s Chapel featuring Dr. Cyril Deaconoff, well-known locally as the director of the Vallejo Chorale. Dr. Deaconoff will be playing a program entitled, “Gently Swinging the Classics-Classical and Popular Music for the Organ.” Dr. Deaconoff is an accomplished composer, organist, pianist and conductor who is presently the Organist and Composer in Residence at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. Born in Moscow, Dr. Deaconoff graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory with a degree in composing and choral conducting. After his family moved to Indiana, Dr. Deaconoff began his doctoral studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, where he received his doctorate in 2006. Tickets may be purchased at the Mare Island Museum, the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, and the Vallejo Visitors’ and Convention Bureau in the ferry building in Vallejo. Tickets may also be purchased with a credit card by calling the MI museum at (707) 557 4646. Tickets purchased by phone will be available for pick-up at the chapel the day of the concert. No tickets will be reserved without payment. We regret having to institute this policy, but past experience has shown people reserve tickets, do not show, and prevent other others who wish buy tickets at the door being subjected to an unnecessary wait . Tickets are $15.00 and all proceeds will benefit MIHPF.
USS Langley (CV-1) St. Peter’s Chapel, Mare Island, California
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Farragut’s Press Armed Forces Day Dance May 19, 2012
March, 2012
Coming Events April 30, 2012
Mare Island Museum will sponsor its second annual Armed Forces Day Dance on May 19, 2012, at the museum. Armed Forces Day was originally conceived by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 to honor all Americans serving and who served in the five branches of the military – Army, Navy Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard- and is always celebrated on the third Saturday in May. The dance, a fundraiser for Mare Island Historic Park Foundation, includes a self-tour of the museum exhibits beginning at 6:00 P.M., a performance by Dance Unlimited at 6:30 P.M., and dancing to the live music of Dalt Williams Band from 7:00-10:00 P.M. Refreshment and snacks will be available. Attendees are encouraged to wear fashions from the 40s and 50s. Veterans are encouraged to wear their military uniforms (if they still fit!!) Anyone in uniform with a military ID (active duty or retired) will get their ticket for half price. If you enjoy Big Band music and those wonderful songs from that era, or you like “dancing cheek to cheek,” we encourage you to attend. Tickets are $30.00 per person or $25.00 for seniors and MIHPF Partners. Tickets are available at the museum on Mare Island or by calling (707) 557-4646 with a credit card. Seating is limited so get your tickets early.
MIHPF Board Meeting 10:00 A.M. Quarters A
May 6, 2012 Organ Concert 3:00 P.M. St. Peter’s Chapel
May 19, 2012 Armed Forces Day Dance 6:30 P.M. Mare Island Museum
May 28, 2012 Memorial day Ceremony 9:00 A.M. Mare Island Naval Cemetery
June 24, 2012 Contra Costa/Solano Food Bank Gala Quarters A and B
September 6-9, 2012 USS Guitarro (SSN 665) Reunion Location TBA
September 29, 2012 Sister City Dinner Mare Island Museum
October 20, 2012 Navy League Dinner for Sea Cadets Mare Island Museum
December 16, 2012 Christmas Concert 2:00 P.M.
USS Langley For (CV-1) Further Information Contact the Museum at (707) 557-446
www.defence.gov
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Mare Island Historic Park Foundation Partnership 1100 Railroad Avenue, Vallejo, CA 94592 (707) 557 4646 mihp46@att.net www.mareislandhpf.org
The Mare Island Historic Park Foundation keeps alive the history of Mare Island Naval Shipyard and chronicles its shipbuilding activities in the museum, as well as preserving the most historic buildings – St. Peter’s Chapel, the Shipyard Commander’s Mansion and Building 46, the oldest building on the island dating from 1855. The shipyard founded in 1854 by Commander David G. Farragut, first admiral in the USN, was the first naval installation on the West Coast and was an important contributor to success in World War II in the Pacific. It also played a prominent role in the Cold War by building 17 nuclear submarines. We invite YOU to become a part of this endeavor by partnering with the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation and supporting its work. Benefits of Partnership:
Free Admission to the Mare Island Museum (Bldg 46) for the year of partnership 10% discount on purchases in gift shop Advance notice via email of new exhibits or events sponsored by the foundation Access to Mare Island Museum Library Free newsletter via email Helping to preserve the history of Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Partnership Levels: (All partnerships are for one (1) year and are fully tax deductible) • • • •
Individual $25.00 – Admits partner named on card Out of State $20.00 – Admits partner named on card Family $40.00 – Admits two household members and their children or grandchildren 12-18 (under 12 are free) Student $15.00 – Admits student named on card with a student ID card
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mare Island Historic Park Foundation Partnership Application Name _______________________________________________________________ Date ___________________ Street Address _______________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip Code ___________________________________________________________________________ Phone____________________________ Email Address ______________________________________________ Partnership Level: ______ Individual $25 _____ Out of State $20 _____Family $40 _____ Student (with ID) $15 Visa_____Mastercard ____American Express____Card Number _________________________ Exp. Date ______ Make checks payable to MIHPF.
Remit to: ATTN; Partnership Mare Island Museum 1100 Railroad Ave, Vallejo, CA 94592
(For Office Use Only) Received by:_____________________________
Date_______________ 7